The Royal’s Cup 2020, scheduled for March 12-15 in Thailand, has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Asian Tour said on Thursday.
The tournament at Kanchanaburi’s Grand Prix Golf Club joins a long list of sporting events hit by the flu-like virus that has killed over 3,200 people globally and infected more than 94,000 after originating in China late last year.
“The Asian Tour and the event promoter… have decided to postpone the Royal’s Cup on the advice of the health authorities of Thailand,” the Asian Tour said in a statement.
“Up until this week, the promoter, sponsors and the Tour were committed to delivering the event as scheduled. However the current situation is now beyond our control.
“While we are disappointed… the health and safety of our players, staff and officials remain our highest priority and we look forward to announcing its return when the situation has stabilised.”
The LPGA Tour also cancelled the Honda LPGA Thailand and the HSBC Women’s World Championship amid fears of the virus in February.
The rapid spread of the outbreak has raised questions about whether Tokyo can host the Olympics from July 24, although the International Olympic Committee reaffirmed its commitment to starting the games on schedule.